Kranti Gaud, India's pace spearhead, has reaffirmed the national team's singular objective heading into the ICC Women's T20 World Cup — to become champions for the first time. Speaking exclusively to IANS on the sidelines of the 'Fancatchstic Chapter 2' event on Sunday, the pacer stressed that despite India's runners-up finish in the 2020 edition in Australia and group-stage exit in 2024 in the UAE, the mindset remains unchanged: clinch the trophy in England from June 12 to July 5.

The WPL pipeline and emerging talent

Gaud highlighted the Women's Premier League (WPL) as a transformative platform for bridging domestic talent into the national setup. She cited the meteoric rise of fellow pacer Nandni Sharma — who progressed from WPL to the T20 World Cup squad — as evidence of the league's impact. "WPL is a very good opportunity and I would like to have more players participate in it," she said, underscoring how the franchise-based competition has accelerated the development pipeline that was previously constrained.

England's historic significance for Gaud

Gaud carries a storied history on English soil. She made her T20 International debut there and recorded a world-record 6 for 52 in an ODI at Durham — a feat she later learned was the highest individual haul by a pacer at such a young age. "There is nothing like that. We are just running what is going on. We are doing to make our best even better," she said, emphasizing her focus on refining strengths that have already proven successful rather than chasing new targets.

Fast bowling synergy and team dynamics

The Indian pace unit — anchored by Gaud, Renuka Singh Thakur, and Arundhati Reddy — is operating in sync. "The atmosphere is good. If I am bowling from one side, then the other bowlers should bowl from the other side. We are doing very well in partnerships and have the same targets," Gaud explained, highlighting the complementary roles within the bowling attack and the shared objective of dismantling opposition batting lineups.

T20 World Cup victory as a catalyst for women's cricket

Gaud frames a T20 World Cup win as more than a sporting achievement — it is a catalyst for systemic change in women's cricket. "We have won the World Cup before and there have been so many changes. We want to win the upcoming World Cup and bring more changes in Indian women's cricket. We want to instill trust in the coming generation and their parents," she said. The ODI World Cup triumph and the launch of WPL have already shifted perceptions; a T20 World Cup victory would deepen that momentum and legitimize girls' cricket as a viable, celebrated career path.

From Ghuwara village to world champion

Gaud's personal trajectory embodies the transformation she seeks for Indian women's cricket. Hailing from Ghuwara in Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh, she grew up unaware that professional women's cricket existed. A small village tournament, mentored by coach Rajiv Bilthre, altered her life's course. "I didn't know girls' cricket existed as well — like play with leather ball, and in academies, girls and boys get to practice. I didn't have any such idea," she recalled. That single tournament transformed her into an ODI World Cup champion, a trajectory she is now determined to replicate for the next generation.

Reviving grassroots cricket and breaking social barriers

In November, Gaud revived the village tournament in Ghuwara — dormant for 5–6 years — and conducted trials that attracted 80 girls, a watershed moment given the social resistance she once faced. "When I used to play, I used to get abused and taunted by people. Many people used to tell my parents not to send me to play because I was a girl," she said. Today, family backing has become normalized. She emphasized that parental support is the bedrock of a young athlete's success: "If you see a player being supported by the family, then it becomes very easy for her because the whole family is standing behind her to support her dream."

With India chasing its first Women's T20 World Cup title in England, Gaud's dual mission — delivering a trophy and accelerating grassroots participation — remains inseparable from the team's broader ambition to cement women's cricket as a cornerstone of Indian sport.